Author's Note: Hi everyone! I am soooo sorry it has been so long since I updated, but I was having some serious writer's block and just couldn't think of anything good. I didn't want to just right something random and not have it be my best work cause I just don't believe in doing that. Plus I have worked really hard on this story and don't want to screw it up with a crappy chapter. So here is Chapter 12 finally! Enjoy and please please please review. It really helps me when I get your comments, sometimes they even spark an idea for the next chapter.

Damon pulled up to the hotel and they headed up to the room. Elena opened the door and starred at her reflection. "Katherine…" she breathed.

Damon slipped his arm around Elena's waist and pulled her to his side and slightly behind him eyeing Katherine suspiciously. "Relax, Damon, I am not here to hurt her or you for that matter. I just wanted to talk with Elena. You can stay if you want." She says a small smile on her face as she turns and walks back into the room. Elena starts to follow her, but Damon pulls her back. She turns and looks into his eyes reading the fear and caution in them. She reaches up and runs her fingers down the side of his face silently telling him everything was ok. He searches her face a second longer before he nods and lets her walk into the room, shadowing her footsteps.

"What do you want to talk about? I thought I made myself very clear." Elena says starring at Katherine as she walked up to her.

"Well Elena dear I don't see a stake in your hand so I am not too worried about your threat." Elena takes a step closer much to Damon's displeasure.

"True, but that coffee table is made of wood and I am sure Damon wouldn't mind breaking a leg off for me." Elena says deadly quiet a gleam in her eyes as she stares unflinchingly at Katherine. Damon's slight scowl turns into a smirk. When did this Elena come out? She is making it all that much harder to resist her… Katherine backs up a step and sits down in a chair.

"Point taken. I wanted to talk to you about Stefan." Elena just crosses her arms and waits. "You made it very clear that you don't want anything to do with him anymore." Elena nods. "I want him to stop pinning after you. He can't have both of us, he needs to get over you. You were after all just the replacement." Damon growls and steps closer. Katherine holds up her hands in surrender. Elena lays a hand on his arm.

"No, she is right. I was just the replacement to him." Damon stops and looks at her. His eyes beseeching her to understand that it is not the same with him. Elena smiles and nods her head slightly, she understands. Damon relaxes and returns to his earlier position behind Elena. "Go on."

"Well what I was saying, I want Stefan to stop stalking you. We can't have much of a relationship if he is always going after you. I will not be a plaything." Elena smirks at this last statement

"No, I don't imagine you would be ok with that." Katherine inclines her head. "So what do you want to do?"

"I want to get a friend of mine to alter his memory." Elena raises her eyebrows.

"You cannot just erase the last year and a half of his life. Too much happened what with the originals and the sacrifice. It wouldn't be fair to him."

"I know that. I just want to alter the way he remembers you."

"Oh, well I don't see how that would be a problem. How are you going to alter it?"

"I was going to have him remember you as the girl who looks just like me, that he spent his time saving because he felt like he was saving me. You would be more like a good friend." Katherine states watching Elena's face for a reaction.

"That could work. I am curious though, why are you even here talking to us about it? It isn't like you to ask opinions."

"I am trying to be nice. And if someday we do happen to run into each you wouldn't give away what I have done." Elena nods. Katherine stands and heads to the door. "You won't see us again." She vanishes out the door.

"Well-" Elea starts but she is cut off when Damon pulls her into a tight hug, burying his face in her hair. She smiles and wraps her arms around him in understanding. "She wasn't going to hurt me. I don't know what it is, but something is different about her." Damon just nods his head and holds on tighter. A few minutes later he lets her go. "I'm just going to go grab a shower." He nods and watches her as she retreats to the bathroom.

He hears the shower turn on and he slips off his jacket and tie moving over to the French doors that open onto the balcony. Stepping outside he smirks "Yes Katherine." She steps out of the shadows and comes to lean on the railing opposite him.

"I just wanted to say goodbye." Damon nods his head. Katherine catches his eyes with hers "Take care of her Damon." He looks at her surprised, she was acting almost human. "Don't look surprised, you know very well there is no switch to flip when you get older. Now that I have Stefan back, I don't know, I just feel whole, complete. I don't want to lose him again, he…" She trails off.

"I understand." Damon says smiling slightly.

"Just take care of her. Trust me. Living for forever without your soul mate is just not worth it." She smiles lightly. "Goodbye Damon." She turns to go.

"Take care of him Katherine. He is my little brother, just take care of him." She nods. "Maybe one day we can all get along again, but I think it might be a couple of centuries." Katherine laughs.

"All of us, Elena…?"

"It is her decision, but if she will have me, then yes Elena too." Katherine smiled at that and then with one more nod, turns and vanishes into the night. Damon stands leaning against the railing staring out at the city lost in his thoughts. He feels a blanket and warm arms being wrapped around his back and he smiles as Elena speaks.

"You know, I understand you don't get cold but it is January and it is freezing out here. Humans get cold." Damon chuckles and turns to face her. Her eyes are lit with the stars and she has a soft smile on her face. He takes her hand and leads her back inside. She crawls into bed while he takes his turn in the bathroom. When he comes out she is fast asleep. He climbs in next to her and she rolls until she is curled into his side. He smiles as he falls asleep.

Elena wakes up first to find herself snuggled up against Damon's side his arms wrapped around her. She lays there for a few minutes pondering how she never had felt safer, even with Stefan, and he didn't drink human blood. She smiles to herself at this and slowly slides from Damon's embrace and retreats to the bathroom. She comes out 10 minutes later dressed and ready for the day to find Damon still passed out asleep. Laughing quietly to herself she scribbles a note and sets it by his head, quietly leaving the suite she heads off in search of breakfast. She knows she could just order room service but she really wanted to see what the hotel had to offer.

Damon sits up looking around the suite. "Elena…" he calls. Getting no answer he starts to panic. He starts to get out of bed when he feels something sharp press into his hand, looking down he sees a piece of the hotel stationary.

You were passed out I didn't want to wake you. You needed the rest. I just went to find breakfast. I have my phone so whenever you get up just txt me.

Elena

Damon relaxed but only slightly. He rushed through his morning routine thanking the stars for his supernatural speed. He walked out of the suite and took a deep breath, starting off to find Elena. He found her sitting in a small café on the first floor of the hotel. He walked up and sat in the empty chair across from her making her jump slightly. "How did you find me?"

"I have my ways." He said as he stole a sip of her coffee.

"Tell me." She said stealing it back.

"No."

"Please…" she says knowing he wouldn't say no again.

"I followed your sent to the first floor then just listened for your heartbeat." He said quietly watching her reaction. Her eyes widened.

"The sent part I get, but my heartbeat. Doesn't it sound like every other human's? How could you possibly distinguish it?"

"I have listened to your heartbeat for a year and a half Elena, it has kept me sane, I know what it sounds like." Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she looks at him in awe. "What?"

"That was beautiful. The old Damon never would have said that."

"What can I say, you have a lasting influence." Elena smiled.

She finished eating her breakfast and they stood to wander through the hotel again. Sometime later they retreated to their room to relax. Elena picked a movie on cable and they settled down on the bed to watch it. Elena curled into Damon's side, his arm draped around her shoulders. They both fell asleep and Damon woke to the sound of the ending credits. Looking down he took in Elena's peaceful face as she curled in tighter to him. He smiled at that as he glanced over to the clock. Noting the time he carefully slipped out of the bed and retreated to the bathroom to freshen up. Coming out he takes in Elena curled up in the spot he just left still fast asleep a small smile on her face. He walks quietly over to the bed and calls her name. She stirs and opens her eyes.

"If you want to go to dinner you best get up and get ready." She sits up and stretches giggling as her joints pop. Damon looks at her slightly alarmed.

"Relax, it happens all the time, one of the downsides to being a cheerleader in high school." He smiles at that and watches her grab her dress out of the closet and retreat to the bathroom. She emerges an hour later in the amethyst gown looking in his opinion like she was ready to walk down the red carpet.

"Beautiful as always" He says taking her outstretched hand. She laughs and it is the best sound in the world. They climb into his ridiculously expensive car and Damon speeds off into the lights and sounds of New York City. They stop outside the museum of Natural History which is lit up like the Grammys. Elena gasps as Damon pulls the car up and gets out opening her door. Cameras are flashing as she steps out and they walk up the red carpeted stairs towards the main doors. "I thought you might like this" He whispers in her ear as he leads her through the main hall. She just hugs him tight in response and then lets go taking his hand as she gazes around.

They eat and dance the rest of the night away. It is 1 am when they finally get back to the hotel. Elena walks into the room, but Damon hesitates in the doorway. She turns looking at him. "I..ahhh….I'll be back." He says, but before he can turn to leave her voice stops him.

"Where are you going?" He turns a guilty look on his face.

"I need to eat Elena." She nods her head in response.

"I have to go find something." She shakes her head. Now he is the one with the confused look on his face.

"You don't have to go anywhere." She steps closer and shuts the door behind him. She is standing in front of him when it finally clicks into place.

"No."

"Yes"

"Elena absolutely not." Then she says four words and does one thing that completely undo him.

"I want you to." She says as she reaches up and kisses him. His arms come around her waist and he pulls her against him.

"Elena…" he says his voice breaking. She says three more words that have him sinking to his knees.

"I trust you." He shakes his head starring into her clear chocolate eyes. "Just let me change out of this dress. If I come back and you aren't here I swear I will go out there and look for you." Her face is stern and he nearly has a heart attack at the thought of her wandering around by herself at this time of night in this city. He nods his head in agreement and she leaves quickly changing and coming back. He is still in the same position she left him in. She takes his hand and pulls him into the bedroom. They sit on the bed and he stares at her as she sweeps her hair over her shoulder. "I trust you." She repeats and he breaks. He bites her. He only takes enough to satisfy his current hunger, but it still makes her sleepy. She curls into his arms a smile on her face. "See, I told you."

He smiles and kisses her lightly on the lips. "Thank you."He is about to say something else when she speaks.

"We can discuss what this means tomorrow. I am to sleepy right now."

"Ok." He says the mask coming back.

She reaches up and lays a hand on his face bringing his eyes down to meet hers. "This DOES mean something Damon. I am not going ANYWHERE." She says. He smiles again and holds her tighter as she snuggles into him. She just blew the score out of the water. She wins and I don't think I have ever been so happy to have someone beat me at my own game. I don't even care as long as I get to keep her. With this thought Damon drifts off.

Author's Note: There you go Chapter 12. I hope you enjoyed and again I am sorry for the long wait. Please Please Please Review!